Practice JLPTHow to tell them apart
ごとに marks regular intervals in a sequence (一課ごとに, 三日ごとに), so it fits fixed spacing like every third day. たびに marks each occurrence of an event triggering something (話すたびに), so it fits whenever-type situations. Swapping them is unnatural: 三日たびに sounds odd for a fixed interval, and 話すごとに sounds odd for an event trigger.
- ごとに Use ごとに when actions repeat at fixed temporal or spatial intervals.
- たびに Use たびに when each occurrence of an event triggers another action.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| ごとに gotoni | Every / at each interval | N4 |
| たびに tabini | Every time | N3 |
ごとに gotoni
Every / at each interval
Every | Something takes place regularly in succession after a certain temporal or spatial interval.
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一課ごとに試験がある。
There is a test after every lesson.
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三日ごとにテニスをしています。
I'm playing tennis every third day.
たびに tabini
Every time
Every time; each time; on every occasion; whenever | A conjunction to express that each time someone/something does something, something else takes place.
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あの人と話すたびに心が和みます。
Each time I talk with her my heart softens.
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うちでは給料日のたびに銀座のレストランで食事をします。
Our family eats at a restaurant in Ginza every payday.
ごとに and たびに are JLPT N4–N3 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.